BRASELTON, Ga.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—April 17, 2002—Chateau Elan Winery & Resort, national flagship property of Chateau Elan Hotels & Resorts Worldwide added two more prestigious honors for excellence to its already handsome portfolio of awards by winning the 2002 ``Paragon`` award and the Golden Links Award by Corporate Meetings & Incentives magazine.

In addition Chateau Elan`s sister property, the new $80 million, 520 acre St Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa in St Andrews, Scotland won the magazine`s Editors Choice Award for 2002 as the outstanding new resort for corporate groups.

The annual Paragon award, based on an independent ballot submitted by 40,000 subscribers of Corporate Meetings & Incentives magazine voted Chateau Elan in the top echelon of only 50 hotels, resorts and conference centers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Caribbean region. The coveted award is based on those properties that did the best job of handling their meetings and incentive programs. Taken into account was the quality of a property`s meeting facilities and incentive programs, technology, resort and recreational amenities, dedicated staff and services, food & beverage, and overall atmosphere.

The first ever Golden Links Best of Corporate Golf Award went to Chateau Elan on the basis of readers from Corporate Meetings & Incentives and Insurance Planner magazines voting for their favorite courses in three categories: (1) Best Overall; (2) Best New Resort Course and (3) Best Staffing & Services.

Henk Evers, President of Chateau Elan Hotels & Resorts said, ``The coveted Paragon and Golden Links Awards alongside our Gold Tee, Gold Key, Silver Medallist, and Stars of the South Awards are very meaningful hospitality honors because they represent the voice and vote of so many of our corporate and leisure guests from around the country. The recognition of our international flagship property, St Andrews Bay by the magazines editors as their choice as the most outstanding new golf and conference resort for corporate groups continues to define Chateau Elan`s position among the very best hotels, resorts and conference centers in the world.``

At 3,500 acres, just north of Atlanta, Chateau Elan Winery & Resort provides a unique resort experience where French provincial is enhanced by Southern hospitality. The resorts centerpiece, a 16th century chateau designed in the style of a French royal retreat and surrounded by acres of vineyards, houses the largest producing winery in the state of Georgia. A 276 room, Mobil Four-Star Inn, a cutting edge 25,000 square foot Conference Center, a 30,000 square foot European Spa with 14 private suites for overnight or extended stays, four championship golf courses and seven distinctive restaurants complete a cavalcade of unmatched amenities.

St Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa is sited atop soaring cliffs that guard the North Sea coastline in St Andrews, Scotland. Opened in June 2001, visitors to the 209 room Inn are treated to stunning views. A panorama of sea and mountains whose peaks are still dusted with snow. Framed behind several holes of the resorts two highly regarded golf courses, the links-style Torrance and the dramatic coastal layout of the Devlin, golfers see the ancient town of St Andrews, and the venerable ``Old Course`` both just a chip shot away and in the distance across the bay, is Carnoustie, site of the 1999 British Open. Though less than a year old, St Andrews Bay is now an integral part of the rich tapestry of Scotland and well on its way toward becoming its newest masterpiece.

More about Chateau Elan: Chateau Elan Hotels & Resorts, a branded group of luxury properties in the U.S. and internationally including: St Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa, St Andrews, Scotland; Chateau Elan Hotel & Spa, Sebring, Florida; Granite Steps a magnificently restored 1881 B&B Mansion, Savannah, Georgia; and Diablo Grande, a 33,000 acre golf resort, winery & spa scheduled to open 2003 in Patterson, California, about 90 miles SE of San Francisco. Chateau Elan Winery & Resort and St Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa are both members of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, a global brand of independently owned luxury properties that provide the highest standards of quality and extraordinary service. www.chateauelan.com and www.standrewsbay.com.

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